Fractal Design Era mini-ITX Case Review

Fractal Design is one of the leading names when it comes to high-quality and high-performance PC components. Their define series has, uhm, defined the market for many years. The recent launch of the amazing Fractal Design Define 7 TG proved they really know what they're doing. Now they're back to tackle the mini-ITX market with a case designed for the enthusiast market. I love Fractal Design mini-ITX cases, albeit they were mostly focused on the then-popular HTPC market. Such as the Node 202, Core 500, Node 304, or even the larger Node 605. Fractal Design Era With a new and funky aluminium design, modular and tool-free panels, and impressive hardware support, despite its compact size, the Era is certainly appealing. However, it's going to have to go a long way to justify its lofty price tag for a case with no RGB or tempered glass in today's market. Let's jump in and take a look! Features Compact profile uniquely designed aluminium exterior available in five coloursStylish top panel designed to match the case colourAdditional steel mesh top panel included for higher airflowVersatile interior supporting professional-grade hardwareSmall, flexible, and space-efficient with volume just over 16 litresSupports dual-slot graphics cards up to 295 mm in lengthRemovable radiator bracket supporting a single 240 mm or dual 120 mm radiatorsTwo storage brackets, each capable of mounting a single 3.5” HDD or two 2.5” SSDsEfficient chimney design optimizes airflow across five total fan positionsPre-installed 80 mm Fractal Design SSR3 fan exhausts heat silently and effectivelySupports SFX or ATX PSUs up to 200 mm in length via innovative interchangeable and adjustable bracketsMagnetic top panel and tool-less latching side panels for easy accessEasy-to-clean, high airflow nylon filters on the top, sides and baseUSB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with support for fast charging and speeds up to 10Gbps What Fractal Design Had to Say With Era, our ambition was to create the perfect Mini-ITX case – a compact chassis free from the excessive restrictions traditionally associated with small form factor systems. The result is a unique and elegantly understated feat of both design and technical engineering.Era’s aluminium exterior comes in a variety of shades to pair with top inserts ranging from premium wood to tempered glass, letting it stand out or blend into any environment. Despite a modest 16 litre footprint, it readily accommodates dual-slot GPUs, AIO water cooling units up to 240 mm, high-end processors and up to four storage devices, all thanks in part to an innovative flexible PSU mounting system. Optimal airflow and component cooling are ensured through its efficient chimney design.Compact, sophisticated and stylish, Era redefines small form factor with an exceptional design that embraces the power and functionality of professional-grade hardware. Specifications Packaging and Accessories The Fractal Design Era ITX comes very nicely packaged in a compact and durable box. It's typical of the design we've seen from Fractal in the past too, with a stylish picture of the case on the front, and a blown apart image on the back giving you all the technical information. Open up the box, and you're presented with... Another box! Below that, you'll find a good layer of foam protecting the case, as well as a soft foam bag over the case protecting it even further. Out of the packaging, you can see you get the case, obviously, the accessories, and the usual documentation. The other box contains a smaller box of screws, as well as two parts for the top panel of the case. One is the mesh filter for those who want extra airflow, and the other is a real-wood finish panel that just looks ultra-gorgeous. They've both magnetic mounting too, so just drop it on the top and you're good to go. Exterior The Era is a little more unique than most other cases I've seen in a while. Tempered glass? Nope, none of that here. What about RGB? Nope, none of that either. Instead, you get lashings of brushed aluminium on the side. Airflow comes through these funky holes, and there's a dust filter behind them too, ensuring your system is kept nice and clean. The front panel is interesting, with swooping and curved edges and corners. Nothing extreme, but nothing is quite straight on this case, it looks more fluid and natural. Ironically, I think it also looks like the old Xbox 360. It looks a little more old-school than modern to my eyes. Down the right side, there's a more of that ventilation, albeit in a different position than on the left and quite a bit more of it. There's only one fan pre-installed on this case, and it's a lovely 80mm Fractal Design model at the rear for heat exhaust. You can fit more fans, but most components can draw airflow directly from the vents on the case. You get quite a lot of passive heat exhaust at the top too, with an enormous dust filter held in place magnetically. However, it's up to you if you put the hard mesh or wooden panel on the top too. On the base, things are actually pretty tidy, with just four firm rubber feet. However, you can see there are deep air vents all along the left and right sides too. A Closer Look - Interior The case is really easy to open up, as it uses push pins for the side panels. Simply pull on the top edge, and they pop right out. This is a small case, so unsurprisingly, there's not a huge amount of space on the interior. The first thing in your way is the SSD/HDD mounting bracket at the side, rather than a traditional SSD mounting bracket. Slightly forward of that, you'll find an actual 2.5/3.5" bay suspected next to the motherboard mount. However, like most thing in here, that's completely removable too. Strangely, there's not one, but TWO PSU mounts here. The upper one of the ATX mount should need it. However, there's an SFX one lower down in the case and that has the HDD cage attached to it. The case will support SFX, SFXL, and ATX PSUs. In the lower section of the case, there's plenty of air filtering, as well as mounts for up to two 140mm fans. Behind the motherboard, there's not really a lot of space at all. This would typically be a cable routing space, but it's just too slim. Of course, there are huge cut-outs which will simply help you access fittings, screws, etc while installing your hardware. The top panel lifts away also, revealing more fan and radiator mounts in the top with 120mm spacings. Complete System I normally show a system when it's fully done, but this being so compact, I've decided to show you it almost completed first. Here we've got the mini-ITX motherboard installed easily enough, and there's the GPU in also. The GTX 1080 Ti FE was the largest card I could fit in here. Please keep in mind the case strictly sticks to a two-slot design, and any 2.5 slot thick cooler designs will not be compatible. There's not a lot of extra width either, so some of those huge-fan model MSI/ASUS cards likely won't fit either. Measure twice, buy once. Remember to leave room for the PSU to GPU cables too, obviously. You can fit a modest size air cooler in here easily enough, there's actually pretty good clearance. Even a slim radiator would fit in the top if you wanted to use an AIO or if you're skilled enough, even a custom loop setup. However, this low-profile Noctua cooler works well and is nice and quiet too. Now it's just the small matter of cables and the power supply! Since this case doesn't actually have a window on it, cable management is mostly about keeping things from getting stuck in fans than it is about aesthetics. This case is small, so you are going to have to compromise in some places. The back of the PSU is right above the GPU, so unless you've got a custom 3" cable, you're going to have to do some cable cramming to deal with any excess for the 6/8-pin GPU cables. It's a bit of a squeeze to get the 24-pin cable in place, which sucks. However, it's not like you'll be doing this every day, so it's hardly a big deal either. There's plenty of room in the HDD bay for storage, but since I'm using M.2, I don't need it. You could technically use it for a little cable management space if you really need it. Plus, you'll still have the side bracket for additional storage too. Tiny case, but if you plan it right, there's really a lot more space in there than it looks. There's room for an ATX PSU thanks to the extra space in the top. There's room for additional fans and cooling should you need it too. The mesh filter looks great, it really does, and if you need extra fans and airflow you're going to want it more open like this. However, it's all about that wood panel for me. I'd be happier to have a less extreme system to afford the style and luxury. Then again, I could have this through the day for when I'm writing reviews. Then pop the airflow panel on at night for gaming. It does look good on my desk though, don't you think? How Much Does it Cost? The Fractal Design Era Mini-ITX PC Case is launching today with an MSRP of £139.99. You can check for up to date stock and pricing in the UK here, and in the US here. It'll be available in Silver, titanium Gray, Carbon, Gold and Cobalt, each coming with their own top panel finish. The first two with White Oak and Walnut respectively, the other three with a tempered glass top. Overview I'm really quite torn about this case, as there are many things I love about it, and honestly, a few things that I don't. I think that right now, it's just a bit too expensive for my taste. The Lian Li PC TU150 is pretty innovative and compact and costs just £100-£115 right now. The In-Win A1 is more expensive at £180ish, but that does come with a 600W PSU too. Then there's basically no good options for cable management on the interior. Plus, it really does remind me of the Xbox 360 a bit. However, let's break that down a bit more. The cost is high, but it's the little details that add up. All that thick aluminium isn't cheap, and not one panel is flat or boring. It's all curved, rolled, smoothed, cut, ventilated, filtered. The list goes on, but there's a LOT of tooling on this case. Then you've got the tool-free mounts, the magnetic fitting top panel, it's all complex design stuff that is done so well, it feels simple and basic to use, as it should. All of which adds to the cost. Why pay for one top panel when you can pay for two? That wood panel looks pretty expensive, with its durable metal interior, magnetic mounts, and stunning finish. Then you're also paying for the ventilated hard mesh panel too. Again you're paying more, but you're getting more. Style I think this case looks a bit weird. I think it's trying to be sleek and modern but somehow looks a bit like a double-width Xbox 360. However, I actually quite like it, it's growing on me. It's just different enough to stand out and just daft enough to stay quirky and amusing. I would have liked to see cable management space behind the motherboard. It's not a deal-breaker though as this case doesn't have side panel windows and nobody will see it. However, the enthusiasts out there will still care about this. Should I Buy One? It's a pretty capable mini-ITX case. The fact you have room for a good size GPU, some fantastic cooling expansion options, and even a larger PSU if you so desire is impressive. It's a little quirky, and it's a little expensive, but it's certainly a bit different too. For those who want a PC case that you want on top of your desk rather than tucked into a dusty corner, it's certainly an interesting choice! I know Andy isn't too keen on this one in the eTeknix office, but it's grown on me. I'd happily keep this one on my desk.